1-Antarctica+(4)+Lina+Bui,+Duong+Vu,+Tri+Pham+(we're+joining,+no+questions+asked!!!!!!!!!!!!)



Introduction of the Biome: Antarctica is one of the coldest, driest, and windiest biome on Earth. It contains 90% of the planet's ice in one area. The ice is not smoothest and it constantly changes and expands which leads to Glaciers to crack and eventually break into pieces. Antarctica is the fifth largest continent on Earth; however, there are barely permanent residen ts who actually live in this biome besides a couple groups of researchers. Antarctica is classified as a 'desert' since it has less than 10 inches of annual precipitation. The average annual precipitation in this biome is even less than the Sahara (but increases along the coasts). The majority of the time, there are heavy snowfalls due to cyclonic storms. More than 99% of this biome is covered which ice, thick ice. Its landscape consists of two main portions: East Antarctica and the smaller West Antarctica, which consists of the Antarctic Peninsula. West Antarctica is classified as an extension of the Andes Mountains that stretches from South America. The highest point of the landscape is the Vinson Massif mountains (4897m photo on the right) and the lowest (yet) found is the Bentley Subglacial Trench (2499m/8200 under sea level photo on the left)) in West Antarctica.



In short, Antarctica has its own 'biome' because there is barely precipitation and it is very cold. It has high altitude temperatures like an ice biome, but still extremely colder than all the other biomes. Additionally, there are periods where the sun does not rise nor set.



 CLICK THIS LINK FOR THE PHOTO DESCRIPTIONS/CAPTIONS AND TO SEE OTHER SCENES FROM ANTARCTICA Flora:

There is less then 1% of the continent is left for plant colonization since the majority of the biome is covered in permanent ice. Most of the 'life' is found near the Antarctica Peninsula.

__ **Flowering Plants: ** __


 * Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia antarctica)( __Photo on Right)__
 * Antarctic pearlwort (Colobanthus quitensis) ( __Photo on Left)__

Both flowering plants are found on the South Orkney Islands, the South Shetland Islands, and along the western Antarctic Peninsula.



__ **Dominant Vegetation: ** __


 * Mosses
 * Liverworts
 * Lichens
 * Fungi

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">These lower plant groups are specially adapted to surviving in extreme environments, in particular, tolerating low temperatures and dehydration which is why there are many different species of those 4 vegetations.In the dry and extremely cold valleys of Victoria Land, for example, there are algae and fungi and lichen found in the crevices and pores inside sandstone and granite rocks.

__ **<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Sub-Antarctic vegetation: ** __


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Tussock grass (a tall robust plant)
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Bog (wet habitats)
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Dry grassland w/ various herbs (extensively dry habitats)
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">sparsely vegetated moss (exposed habitats)
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Lichen dominated fell field (exposed habitats)

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Areas of the biome that has a more favorable climate for floras to thrive include the sub-Antarctic islands, which have milder and wetter climates compared to the major portion of the ice-y continent.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #004563; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 27px;">Fauna:

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">The wildlife in Antarctica have adapted to the harsh conditions of the South Pole, having to live through extreme dryness, below freezing temperatures, and high exposure. Compared to the rest of the world, the wildlife diversity in Antarctica is relatively few. In the water, there exists over 235 species of animals, including whales, marine snails, sea cucumbers, mud-dwelling worms, and krill. On the flipside, terrestrial animals include penguins, albatrosses, petrels, gulls, and seals. Human activity in the South Pole have led to the introduction of foreign species such as reindeer, various beetle species, chickens, rabbits and even mice.


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">penguins (Antarctica is home to 17 species of penguin, including the emperor penguin, crested, and banded penguins. )
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">small birds
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">seals
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">whales
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">antarctic cod
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">ice fish
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">other marine invertebrates



<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Spring in Antarctica provides nesting space for various species of:


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">albatrosses
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">gulls
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">terns
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">petrels
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">skuas



//<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #004563; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 27px;">Seasonal Temperature/Rain: //

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">The continent is divided into two regions, East and West Antarctica. In this, the ice measures about 2 kilometers thick, but despite its frigid conditions, it’s still classified as a desert because so little moisture falls from the sky. The interior parts receive about 2 inches, or 50 millimeters, of precipitation, while the coastal regions receive about 8 inches (200 mm) each year. However, due to the cold environment (monthly mean temperatures during the winter are between -10 and -30 degrees Celsius, while the interior plateau averages between -20 and -60 degrees Celsius due to its higher elevation), precipitation falls as snow instead of rain in Antarctica.

//<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #004563; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 27px;">Human Impacts and Interactions: //

<span style="color: #141723; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> Antarctica is always thought to be the land that is untouched, undamaged by human hands, but unfortunately, that is untrue. Humans often hunt for seals and whales around the area for uses in commodity. This has caused the population to drastically decline in the past years, with both seals and whales being categorized as endangered species. Not only that, humans have also overfished in the area, which affects the whole ecosystem as a whole. Predators that depend on those fish become endangered, and there’s a high rate of mortality for organisms that get caught in fishing equipment but aren’t targeted. Humans also introduce new species into the area, which may upset the balance in the biome. New species (including disease-causing organisms like bacteria) can harm the existing creatures there and fatally impact the environment.



<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #004563; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 27px;">Bibliography:

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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Esike, Mik. "The Antarctica." Miksike. 

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">The European Commission. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. < [|http://miksike.ee/docs/referaadid/arctica_antarctica_martin.htm]>.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Eva. "Weddell Seal and Pup, Antarctica." A Southern Migration. Wordpress, 30 Dec. 2009. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. < [|https://asouthernmigration.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/antarctica-lecture-2-animal-life/weddell-seal-and-pup-antarctica/]>.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">G., Gregory, and Mary Beth Dimijian. "Dimijian Images Antarctica Page 1." Dimijian. Images Antarctica Page 1. 

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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Redd, Nola Taylor. "Antarctica: Facts About the Coldest Continent." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 18 July 2012. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. < [|http://www.livescience.com/21677-antarctica-][|facts.html]>.